The African Development Bank (AfDB) on Wednesday said that no fewer than 650 million Africans currently live without electricity.

Dr Victor Oladokun, AfDB Director, Communication and Media Relations disclosed this while welcoming African Journalists on a Media Tour to Saemaul Undong Model village project, in Yamoussoukro, Cote d’Ivoire.

“About 650 million people in Africa are currently without light and some communities till today never see electricity.

“We have a commitment to ensure universal electricity commitment and few other commitments,” he said.

He said that Africa by 2050 would have a population close to two billion, a population of China and Indian put together.

He added that about 90 percent of the people living in rural areas in Africa live in darkness.

“A state like Lagos in Nigeria has about 25 million population, five million commute out of Lagos.

“Lagos, like Addis is likely to double its population to 40 to 45 million in the next 20 years, are we prepared? he asked.

He said that the continent needs to work hard to be able to manage the population with the basic needs.

He noted that bank had five key areas of focus to ensure effective development of the region.

The five key areas he said include: Light up Africa, Feeding Africa, Integrating Africa, Industrializing Africa and Improve Quality of Life in Africa.

He said that the bank had continued to expand its office to take business closer to consumers in the field.

According to him, the bank has established 40 offices in different countries in the region as against 14 that it use to have.

“As a bank, we need to be closer to the consumers and the private sector,’’ he said.

He added that the bank had refocused its effort to ensure that rural areas were developed adding that developing the urban centres would not bring the desired result in the region. (NAN)